Issue: October 2022

NOAA Fisheries researchers have determined that salmon and steelhead species in the Interior Columbia Basin protected under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) still need such protection, due to the impact of climate change and the need for further recovery actions. The five-year review, released in mid-August, focuses on species in the Snake River and upper and middle Columbia River systems. It recommends further improving the passage of these fish through hydropower dams, restoring tributary and estuary habitat, controlling predators and modifying hatchery practices to improve the resilience of these species. The review of Snake River spring/summer-run Chinook salmon noted an increased level of concern for the species, based on declining population trend and the impacts of climate chang...

A Hawaii Supreme Court decision released Aug. 11 upholds the local longline fleet’s reliance on some foreign fishermen who can’t legally leave the dock when their boats arrive in Honolulu Harbor. Specifically, the opinion gives the okay for state officials to grant commercial licenses to fishermen confined to the pier, although they have no legal status in the U.S. In its decision, the court said that it’s permissible because the state’s fleet of 140 or so longline vessels only fish in the deep ocean and not in state-designated waters closer to shore. The ruling resolves the five-year-old case “Chun v. Board of Land & Natural Resources,” under which a Hawaiian man, Malama Chun, sued contending that the state’s Department of Land and Natural Resources could and should not issue comm...

Federal fisheries officials, working with collaborators in the private-public Oregon Coast Coho Partnership, are expressing optimism on restoring healthy coho salmon runs to the Oregon coast through science-driven restoration and sound watershed management. This includes efforts to uphold Native American tribal fishing rights. Coho salmon populations on the Oregon coast, as well as the coast of Northern California, are currently listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, because there isn’t enough high-quality habitat available for vulnerable juvenile cohos to be reared. The cohos weigh an average of eight pounds and two feet in length. More than 30 habitat restoration projects have been funded and are underway through the partnership, which is collaborating with community o...

On July 21, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) announced $19.6 million in grant awards to 24 small shipyards in 19 states through the Small Shipyard Grant Program, with more than a fifth of the funding going to six West Coast operations. The funds are expected to help awardees modernize, increase productivity and expand local employment opportunities to better compete in the global marketplace. “Small businesses are the lifeblood of the American economy, and small shipyards play a critical role in America’s maritime industry, helping us get the goods we depend on every day,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement. “These grants will help modernize small shipyards in communities across the country, creating and protecting loc...

Sunshine beamed down on the three-day Salmonfest 2022 as bands played to a sold-out crowd of several thousand people who gathered on Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula to celebrate the iconic fish and the music of 60 acts on four stages. As the bands, many of them nationally known, played, dozens of people in front of the main stage danced and cheered on the musicians, while others in colorful salmon-themed attire and more creative outfits lay in the sun, relaxing in the ambience of the Woodstock-like event. They also enjoyed servings of fresh fish chowder and other salmon dishes at food booths. Along with new headliners this year, including Umphrey’s McGee and Shakey Graves, were perennial favorites like The California Honeydrops, Black Water Railroad Company, Hope Social Club, the Super Satura...

New research compiled by NOAA Fisheries supports equipping beginning fishermen facing start-up challenges with tools that have been successful in helping young farmers. The study, led by Marysia Szymkowiak of the Alaska Fisheries Science Center, notes the similarities between the farming and fishing professions, both of which ensure food security, provide jobs and support the well-being of rural communities. “The parallels are really stark,” said Szymkowiak. “Given that, we can really learn a lot from how these issues are being addressed in farming.” For both new fishermen and farmers there are formidable challenges to entry and success, as they are each highly risky businesses, subject to weather, variable harvests, uncertain markets, climate change and high start-up costs, plus make u...

A commercial fishing captain in Tillamook, Ore., has lost commercial fishing privileges for the next five years after what Oregon state police describe as repeated halibut poaching. The state police Fish and Wildlife Division brought charges against Charles “Joe” Evens for violating terms of his commercial license by keeping fish he caught instead of selling and documenting the catch with a fish dealer. Evens was suspended from obtaining commercial or recreational fishing licenses for five years, ordered to complete 80 hours of community service and also fined $400 for the violations, which he admitted to in June. The license suspension falls within parameters of the Violator Compact, a reciprocal agreement among most states. The compact dictates that if someone loses their hunting or f...

An annual study now underway regarding consumers’ perspectives about wild Alaska Pollock includes questions this year about the impact of rising food prices, as well as questions specific to surimi seafood. Study conclusions are to be presented at the annual meeting of the Association of Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers (GAPP) at the Westin Seattle hotel on Oct. 17. The study by the international public relations firm Ketchum is recognized in the industry as the annual barometer of the industry’s efforts to improve the image of wild Alaska Pollock from an anonymous white fish to a household name. “These results are not only GAPP’s ‘report card’ but the compass that guides our industry’s marketing and promotional efforts in the future,” GAPP Chief Executive Officer Craig Morris said. “...